Lack of psychiatric beds putting patient, staff safety at risk: union

The ABC's been told a potentially dangerous psychiatric patient was left in a low security health facility in the Illawarra after threatening to harm other patients and staff, despite appeals to the local health district.

The Health Services Union says no bed was available for the patient at the Eloura West mental health unit at Shellharbour Hospital.

Eloura West is the only locked ward of its kind for acute patients between Helensburgh and Ulladulla.

The number of beds in was reduced from 9 to 6 after a patient was killed last month.

But HSU regional organiser Andrew Gorman says the number of beds in the unit are constantly insufficient.

Mr Gorman says a recent situation with a patient demonstrates that there are not enough beds in the region for violent, suicidal or medicated patients.

"They were moved on a temporary basis for a couple of days but then they had to be moved back to a lower dependency unit because there were no beds available in the high dependency unit," Mr Gorman said.

"That situation has been resolved, a place has been found for them," he said.

"But I believe the time frame was too long."

Mr Gorman says high-needs patients who cannot get a bed in Eloura West are either being released or left in low security facilities or hospitals.

"It might not mean much depending on the patient but it could mean a lot because if the patient is very violent, is a regular drug user, and is coming down off of their high, they could be very dangerous," he said.

"Not just patients but visitors and staff that work in these hospitals could be in jeopardy of being seriously injured."

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District says it is not in a position to provide an interview.